Bifurcated skirt



Jan. 12, 1954 Filed July 28, 1950 R. F. BOWL EY BIFURCATED SKIRT 4 Shee'ts-Sheet l INVENTOR. R/W/70/v0 F 50 PYLEY BY dwa. EM,

HTTOR N5 Y R. F. BOWLEY BIFURCATED SKIRT Jan. 12, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 28, 1950 ATTORNEY R. F. BOWLEY BIFURCATED SKIRT Jan. 12, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 28, 1950 INVENTOR. RA Yuan/o 60 m a) MQ.M

0770mm Y Jan. 12, 1954 R. F. BOWLEY 2,665,428

BIFURCATED SKIRT Filed July 28, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN V EN TOR. RAYMOND E Dams) irm/qua) Patented Jan. 12, 1954 2,665,428 v BIFURCATED SKIRT? RaymonwR-Bowley; Boston, Massz ApplicationJuly 21s, 1950, Serial- N6. 1762s? QClaims. 1s

The' present invention relates" generally to" immovements in wo'rnens nether garments and; as illustrated herein; relates:moreparticularly to a bifurcated;- nether garment which" presents-the generalappearance ofa' skirt:-

This -applica tion is a continuation in part of m y-co'-pending but nowabandoned application for Slacks, Serial No. l6,500;filed' March-23; 1948.

One objectoF-the present invention is '-to provide an attractive and comfortable bifurcated nether garment which presentsthe general appearance of -a ski-rt while 'ret'ainingathe comfort and freedom of a-- pair of shorts o'r s1acks;- To --this -end;- the garment -is provided-with front and backs folds or pleats which overlieone leg portionat thefront and the other leg: portion at the" backand which extend-from the waist 'band-to ther-bottom hem of the garment Asilhistratedr the front portionot oneleg portion is provided forwardly" of the crotch portion with excess materiaL Whioh is -folded -to iorm a --pleat which-overlies the -other: 1eg-.-pQI'-ti0h= and =-which extends rupwardly to thewaist band of the garmenta and is'-: secured thereto; The: -back portion o fcthesother leg-aportion is likewise provided-with folclzwhichi overlies" the fir'st mentioned leg -portion irearwardly" ofethe crotch pontionandwhich also; extendsupwardly. to and is securedto the waistband of the garmentxat: thelback thereof;

'Eherecisuprovidedibgn thisrinvention a-garment wherein increased fullnesstofimaterial is provided cm the inner portion'; ofoneiront, leg-rsection, and

.on' the. inner. portion of. the: diagonally opposite back; .leg-sectiom thislladded fullness or. enlargementsb'eing'incorporatedin a pleatlor fold::of.ma-' terial overlappinglthe correspondingadjacent legsection fromthe median; line .ofotheagarmentand hanginggin astraight line towthe-hemsofi the garment giving-the garment-ithegfreedom, of; slacks,

and the appearance of. a, skintby-v'hidingze, the

crotch-seamwhile not interfering with-the center front to center back.- direction thereof. Further advantageousrfeatures of --this design reside in the placing of thegarment closure at theirontcenterv andfconceali'ngthe fastener thereof by. the ffontjfold; This placing of the garment. closure the center front permitsa' pocket to be, inchi'ddin eachside seam.

Infthedrawings:

Figured is a plan -view"of"a pattern for'the front sections of the: present garment; Eig-r -z islta plan-view" of' the-'-'patterns usedfor makin'g the "front yoke-and sidepockets of the garment a" pattern for the: back sections ofthejgarment;

Fig, Lisa view inrfrontf elevation of thecompleted skirt of, the present invention;

Fig. 5 is .a' View similarjtoFig; 4* but showing the'skirt'in rear1eleva'tion; I w 7 Fig; 6' is a v'iew'in cross section taken" along the line 6-6 of'Fig, 4;;

Fig; 7iis a; View in" cross sectioir taken along the line '1,-1 of "Fig 4; w 7

Fig: 8 is' a f'rfont perspective -view"'ortiie completed skirt;

Referring n'ow to the; drawings; the. present: garment comprises a p'a'ir oi rightandleftffont leg sections l 0 and l2, respective1y, and a pafii of' right andleft back 1 g 1SeQti dns1farid [6,; respectively; Theriglitfifront-andiback sections: I 0 and" Mare suitably secure-d together atfthejouter' sides, for example; by jaline of stitchingf H?- (Fig. 7) while-the inner edge portionsfth'ereofare se curedftogether' fronii'the-bottbn'r to the crotcliib'y' a line 0f stitching 20?- The left front crotch portions 28? 28 (Fig are stitched-ta gether to apoint"approximately five-or siXinches below-the waistband 't'cr' prov'ide a'suitable placket opening: The-rear crotch portions 30, 32 '(Fig.

i Will "be noted that the r ight frOnt section- I ll 'an'd the left back sectionit are suiistan t-iallywider fron itop' to bottom-than thefleftj front sect-ionii amithe' right back section 14? The'niaterial' in the right front leg sec tion lfl betw'een' the 'd'otdash lines 33 35' is-fo1ded along;the'--dottedfline 38, to form a-fold or pleat 38c '(Figsfi'sand 7) which is located entire'lfi forwardly of" the-'c1r0t ch portion 26; The crotcir porti'omis accordingly free fromundesired ies-ts or -foldssince there isno excess material in this portion of- -'the'g'ai'- men'ti are stitched together: asd'escribed above, the fold or pleatwet-formed by thematerial'between the lines 34? 36 overlies1th'e left from section l2 throughout substantiallythe en'ti're farea between the dot dash line 40'*an*d*t1ieddttedjfine 42.1 This area "lies entirely 'foi'wardlii of "the .crotchfpbrtion of the'left'frcnt leg section-l2, Thus thefcrfdteh in both 'sectionsis free--from*und'siredTpleatsor i d tbgether' by similar linesof s-tit'cliing zz andfl5% The. front right front section conceals the median or crotch seam and overlies the vertical space between the leg portions and, hence the garment, as viewed from the front, presents the appearance of a skirt.

The left back section It is likewise wider from top to bottom than is the right back portion [4. The material between the dot-dash lines is folded along the dotted line 48 to form a fold or pleat 48a (Figs. 6 and 7) and when the garment is stitched together the fold or pleat 48a overlies the right back section l4 over substantially the entire area between the dotted line 50 and the dot-dash line 52 (Fig. 3). Thus when the wearer is in a normal standing position, the garment from the back also appears to be a skirt.

The garment is provided with a usual waistband 54 which is preferably formed of the same :material as the body of the garment and, as illustrated, is continuous. As previously stated, the crotch seam 26, 28 terminates at the front at a point five or sixinches below the waistband. The unstitched portions form the edges of a placket opening located at substantially the front median line of the garment. This placket opening may be held closed by the use of any suitable fastener, such, for example, as the usual zipper which may be stitched to the sides of the opening. As is best shown in Fig. 6, the placket is concealed by the front fold or pleat 38a. Each of the leg portions l0, l2, l4 and i5, is provided with a dart 55, the edges of which are stitched to shape the garment at the waistline.

The garment is provided with a front yoke or lining which, as illustrated, is formed of two pieces 58, 58 (Fig. 2). These yoke pieces are stitched to the edge portions of the placket opening and extend outwardly toward the sides of the garment therefrom. The outer edge portion of each front piece at its lower side is stitched to the side scams [8, 22 of the garment while the remainder of each outer edge portion is stitched only to the back portions thus forming in effect a continuation of the side seams. The

adjoining unstitched edges of the front portions 18 and 12 are stitched to pocket pieces 60, 62 (Fig. 2) the lower and inner edges of the pocket pieces being stitched to the underlying yoke pieces 55, 68 to form side pockets. The waistband 54, above referred to, is then stitched to the Waist portion of the garment, including the upper edges of the yoke and pocket pieces. As illustrated, the waistband 54 is continuous and extends from the left edge of the placket opening around the back of the garment and back to the front of the garment terminating a short distance beyond the free edge of the pleat or fold 38a to form a tab 66 having a suitable fastener thereon for securing the tab to the underlying end portion of the waistband 54.

The garment presents the appearance of a skirt since the front and back pleats 38a, 48a conceal the space between the leg portions both at the front and at the back thereof. The folds or pleats 38a, 48a extend from the waistband 54 to the bottom of the garment and are located at the front and back of the garment, respectively. The material which joins these pleats is thus so located that it does not interfere in any way with either the use or the comfort of the garment. The crotch seam of the present garment, as best shown in Fig. 6, extends rearwardly at substantially right angles to the front of garment and is free from folds which would make this portion of the garment bulky and hence uncomfortable to the wearer.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a garment providing the fit and general appearance of a skirt and the freedom of slacks, in combination, right and left members each having waist, body and leg portions, said members being secured to each other to form depending legs and a straight front-to-back crotch at the median line of the garment, one of said members having a wide vertical pleat in the front extending vertically from the waist portion to the bottom of the garment and laterally from adjacent the median line of the garment toward the other member and overlapping to a substantial extent the other member so as to conceal the space between the leg portions from the front, and the other member having a wide vertical pleat in the back extending vertically from the waist portion to the bottom of the garment and. laterally from adjacent the median line of the garmenttoward the first member and overlapping to a substantial extent the first member so as to conceal the space between the leg portions from the back, said pleats providing enlargements of the respective leg portions.

2. In a garment providing the fit and general appearance of a skirt and the freedom of slacks, in combination, right and left members each having waist, body and leg portions, said members being secured to each other to form depending legs and a straight front-to-back crotch at the median line of the garment, the right member having a wide vertical pleat in the iront extending vertically from the waist portion to the bottom of the garment and laterally from adjacent the median line of the garment toward the left member and overlapping to a substantial extent the left member so as to conceal the space between the leg portions from the front, and the left member having a wide vertical pleat in the back extending vertically from the waist portion to the bottom of the garment and laterally from adjacent the median line of the garment toward the right member and overlapping to a substantial extent the right member so as to conceal the space between the leg portions from the back, said pleats providing enlargements of the respective leg portions.

3. In a garment providing the fit and general appearance of a skirt and the freedom of slacks, in combination, a waistband, right and left members each having body and leg portions, said members being secured to said waistband and to each other to form depending legs and a straight front-to-back crotch at the median line of the garment, the right member having a wide vertical pleat in the front extending vertically from the waistband to the bottom of the garment and laterally from adjacent the median line of the garment toward the left member and overlapping to a substantial extent the left member so as to conceal the space between the leg portions from the front, and the left member having a wide vertical pleat in the back extending vertically from the waistband to the bottom of the garment and laterally from adjacent the median line of the garment toward the right member and overlapping to a substantial extent the right member so as to conceal the space between the leg portions from the back, said pleats providing enlargements of the respective leg portions.

4. In a garment providing the fit and general appearance of a skirt and the freedom'of slacks, in combination, a waistband, right and left members each having body and leg portions, said members being secured to said waistband and to each other to form depending legs, a straight front-to-back crotch, and a front closure at the median line of the garment, the right member having a wide vertical pleat in the front extending vertically from the waistband to the bottom of the garment and laterally from adjacent the median line of the garment toward the left member and overlapping to a substantial extent the left member so as to conceal the closure and the space between the leg portions from the front, and the left member having a wide vertical pleat in the back extending vertically from the waistband to the bottom of the garment and laterally from adjacent the median line of the garment toward the right member and overlapping to a substantial extent the right member so as to conceal the space between the leg portions from the back, said pleats providing enlargements or the respective leg portions.

RAYMOND F. BOWLEY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,095,895 Langman May 5, 1914 2,075,395 Hirschfeld Mar. 20, 1937 2,098,810 Pierce Nov. 9, 1937 2,284,723 Chessin June 2, 1942 2,381,295 Leon Aug. 7, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 470,111 Great Britain Aug. 10, 1937 

